AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – Democrat Chellie Pingree has won a hard-fought, six-way race to win her party’s nomination in southern Maine’s 1st Congressional District.

Pingree, a former Senate majority leader who later served as national chair of Common Cause, raised the most money and maintained a comfortable lead.

With 57 percent of precincts voting, Pingree, of North Haven, had 44 percent of the vote while while Adam Cote, a Portland lawyer and Iraq war veteran, had 26 percent.

On the Republican side, Charlie Summers of Scarborough, who recently returned from duty in Iraq, turned back a challenge by Dean Scontras of Eliot for the party’s 1st District nomination.

In the Senate race, Maine Democrats chose Rep. Tom Allen over political newcomer Tom Ledue. Allen will face two-term Sen. Susan Collins, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, in November.

AP-ES-06-10-08 2314EDT